Apparatus for extinguishing transformer and switch fires



June 15 1926. 1,588,882

C. B. FLORY APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING TRANSFORMER AND SWITCH FIRESFiled July 30, 1921 wueutoz 351 71 3 Gum/mugs cmmm f WZZMJ-Hm PatentedJune 15, 1926.

UNITED 4s TAT-ES IPATE Ni ear-rice.

GURTISBILORY, OFFOREST HILLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB T0 FOAIdITE-GHILDS COR-PORATIOIL'OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CURPORATION OF. DELAWARE.

APPARATUS FOR EXTINGIIISHING TRANSFORMER AND STVITCH FIRES.

Application filed July 30, 1921. Serial No. 488,532.

In the operation of high tension power plants or stations, oil immersedtransformers and switches necessary in high voltage generation andtransmission work have been a frequent source or origin of fire from anumber of causes. The tanks holding the oil transformers and oilswitches, according to a common'design, are practically airtight and thesudden expansion of the oil or vapor in the tanks under severe and evennormal operating conditions has been known to cause tankexplosions withthe result that the ignited oil in being projected by the fires of theexplosion and in flowing from thedisrupted tank, quickly spreads thefire to ad jacent transformer or switch tanks. The tanks are usuallyprovided with small vents for accommodating normal changes in internalpressure due to oil expansion; and itis a common occurrence for the oilto escape from these vents, the oil running over the outer walls of thetanks and spreading over the power plant flooring. This escaping oil isofttimes accidentally setinto combustion, with the result that the fireis communicated to the surrounding transformer and switch tanks. Thetanks are also subject to disruption due to other common causes, such asline surges incidentto electrical storms, excessive loads, shortcircuits, arcing, insulation breakdown, etc., the disruption in any ofthese events causing oil ignition, the.

escaping burning oil communicating or spreading ,the fires ,to otherparts of the plant or station open to fire hazards. The provision of asystem for protecting high tension power plants against spread of firefrom oil immersed equipment of this nature and for extinguishing fireshaving their origin or inception in transformer and switch tankbreakdowns is an obvious desideratum; and my present invention has forits chief object the provision of such a system.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation with parts shown in cross section of mysystem,

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, and

Figure 3 is a view of a detail.

The system of my present invention comprises briefiy the provision of acompartment or compartments in which the oil immersed equipment tanksare located, the tanks being isolated by the compartments from adjacentapparatus, the compartments providing means for limiting the the areaand for limiting spread of fire due to tank disruption or breakdown andfor preventing spread of overflowing oil due to normal use of the tankequipment, my system including the provision of lire extinguishingapparatus of the foam producing type arranged for delivering a n ass offoam into the isolated compartment for flooding or filling the same toquickly smother the fire therein. To accomplish these ends the hightension transformer or oil tanks are mounted in a compartment 10, whichmay be in the form of a pit, below the grade level of the plant, thewallsll and the'fiooring 12 being constructed preferably of lireproofing material such as, for example, brick or cement. Any number oftanks desired may be mounted in a compartment, .it-being preferred tolimit the number of tanks to, for example, two tanks for eachcompartment. ,Mounted on a foundation such as 13 on the floor of the pit10 are the two transformer tanks 1%, the said transformer tanks being ofthe usual type constructed of heavy plate metal and made substantiallyairtight, the tanks being provided with the usual insulated primaryconductors 1'5 and the usual petticoated insulated secondary conductors16. Although in the present exemplification I show the tanks 14. as oilimmersed transformer tanks, it willbe obvious that the tanks 14 maycomprise the high tension switch tanks employed in high power plants orstations or any other oil immersed apparatus; The provision of theisolating compartment or pit 10 provides a chamber in which theoverflowing oil from the tanks or the burning oil projected by tankexplosion-may collect without liability of spread, the fire beinglimited to such isolated. compartment, the fire being thus preventedfrom spreading not only, but being localized for fire fighting purposes.

To extinguish the oil fire localized in the compartment 10 I provide afoam generating and delivery apparatus communicating with thecompartment and adapted in time of fire for flooding or filling thecompartment with a smothering blanket of fire extinguishing foam. Tothese ends I provide the foam mixing or generating chamber or head 17located preferably adjacent the compartment 10, independent solutionlines 18 and 19 being connected to the mixing head 17, the lines 18 and19 being provided for ind p dently conduct g p nt s lutions fromindependent tanks (not shown), the solutions being conducted through thelines 18 and 19 and into the chamber 17 in opposed relation, theimpinging solution jets or streams effecting solution intermixture forproducing or generating a fire extinguishing foam compound. For thepurpose of delivering or introducing the generated foam compound intothe compartment 10 for flooding or filling the same I provide a deliverymeans connected to the generating head 17, the said delivery meansconveniently taking the form of pipe sections 20, which may be arrangedsurrounding the tanks 14 and located about the walls 11 of thecompartment 10, the said piping 20 being provided with a plurality ofspaced perforations 21, as shown particularly in Figures 1 and 5 of thedrawings, the perforations forming duct means for providing exit pathsfor the foam. For the purpose of extinguishing any fire presented by theignited oil over the outer walls of the tanks 14; or on the roofs of thesaid tanks, I may also provide one or more foam generating sprinklerheads 22, independent solution lines 23 nd connecting the said springlerhead to the main solution lines 18 and 19, as shown in Figures 1 and 2of the drawings. For the purpose of extinguishing fires present in thetanks 1% or for the purpose of covering the oil and apparatus containedin said tanks with a blanket of foam for protection in time of fire, Iprovide foam delivery pipe sections 25 connected to a tank r tanks 14for foam communication with the interior of the said tank, as shown inFigure 1 of the drawings, the foam delivery pipe sections 25 beingintended for connection to a foam-producing system as, for example, afoam-type engine (not shown), a valve 26 being provided in the deliverypiping 25 for controlling the flow of the foam into the said tank.

1,5se,es2

While I have shown my device in the preferred form, it will be obviousthat many changes and modifications may be made in the structuredisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. A system for extinguishing oil transformer or oil switch fires,comprising a storage pit or compartment, oil transformer or switch tankmeans located in said compartment and isolated thereby, and apparatusfor generating and delivering foam to the compartment and to the tanktops, the said apparatus comprising a mixing chamber lo cated adjacentthe compartment, independent solution supply lines connected to then'iixing chamber, perforated foam delivering pipe sections arrangedinteriorly about the walls of the compartment and surrounding the saidtanks connected to the mixing chamber, a foam generating and deliveringunit located above the tank tops, and independent lines connecting thesaid unit to the independent solution supply lines.

2. A system for extinguishing oil transformer or switch fires,comprising a storage pit or compartment, oil transformer or switch tankmeans located in said compartment and isolated thereby, and a foamproducing and delivering apparatus including a foam delivering meanslocated in said compartment below the tops of the tanks therein fordelivering fire extinguishing foam in tine of fire for flooding he same,and additional foam delivering means located above the said compartmentand above the tops of the tanks therein for supplying foam to the tanktops.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this29th day of July A. D. 1921.

OUR IS B. FLORY.

